How To Introduce Your Dog To Another Dog

A common issue many people have when walking their dog is trying to learn how to introduce a dog to another dog on the leash. This is a problem when their dog is over-excited.

It doesn’t matter what breed of dog it is. Great Danes all the way down to Chihuahuas can get so excited they look as if they are about to pop. Nothing is worse when they drag you nearly head over heels to try and meet dogs they see on their walks. Besides being embarrassing, it can be dangerous. You or the other dog and its walker could get injured. Introducing a second dog takes careful consideration.

Is It Aggression Or Excitement?

It is difficult to determine sometimes what it is that the dog is experiencing. Usually this type of behavior is a mix of stress and excitement. This state is not healthy for your dog to have when meeting others because there is a good chance that something can go wrong.

This is especially true if this problem goes unattended. Just imagine how any other dog might feel seeing yours rear up on his or her back legs, barking, gasping for air and – you get the idea. Now, how do you avoid this scenario? In this post, I am going to give you three ways to do this.

You can choose the best one of the three to practice with your dog. Once you have a clear plan of action, you are sure to succeed in teaching your dog to approach others calmly.

First, let me be clear. There are only three options available. Second, you have to establish yourself as the pack leader. Ready? Here are the three options:

1. Approach The Other Dog

You notice your dog is already calm. So, you decide to approach another dog coming your way. Whatever you do, stay silent as you do this. Do not get in the way of the situation. Let both dogs meet in the calmness that you have exhibited. This is the ultimate goal to reach, so this option will probably take the most practice, but it will be worth it.

2. Stay Away

This option is where your dog is completely out of control. The barking is loud and uncontrollable. Your gut tells you to stay away from other dogs on your walk.

You gut could be telling you something. If you feel you do not have the time or energy at that moment to approach with calmness, there may be a reason why. Maybe the other dog looks old, tiny or uncertain of him or herself. Listen to your instincts, as it could save you some trouble.

Also, by staying away you teach your dog that sometimes it is not time to meet every dog or sniff every dog on the walk. After all, you are the pack leader. You set the rules.

3. Calm Your Dog Down

Finally, you can tell your barker to quiet down. You can use training to make him sit and “watch” you. Distract your dog. Once you get the dog to calm down, then you can decide if it is all right to meet the other dog. By doing this, you show your dog that if they behave by calming down just for a moment, good things happen.

As time goes by, your dog will learn that the calmer he or she is, the better the chance will be of getting to meet other dogs.

What Is The Best Option For Me?

All three will be right on different occasions. I still use any of the three options for my dogs. It depends on what is going on. Young dogs will often need more calming down than older ones, and most certainly this training will pay off in the future.

Guaranteeing it will work is going to take some effort on your part. You absolutely have to master control over your dog. You are the pack leader. Once the dog learns this, the dog obeys.

Learn Doggy Dan’sfive Golden Rules to become the pack leader. It will give you assurance that you are in charge. Your dog looks up to you and respects you for all the decisions you make.

Come by Doggy Dan’s video website! He offers a three day $1 trial of the site. This gives you the opportunity to take advantage of all the knowledge he has to offer. Take a look at the site and sign up for the free video course. Among other things, you will most definitely learn the proper way of introducing a second dog.

Avoid the Fatal Mistake

Many people make a fatal mistake, which you can learn to avoid. That mistake is rewarding a dog’s bad behavior. Imagine a tiny dog barking just because they want to greet a dog on the other side of the street. If you go ahead and cross over, even if the meeting goes well, you just rewarded your little dog’s bad behavior.

This will teach the dog to get more excited every time another dog is on the other side of the street. The barking and leash yanking will get out of control and you will have a major problem on your hands.

All dogs can learn how to be calm when they approach other dogs. It will just take the pack leader’s commitment and practice. Take the time to do this and your training will have the best impact on your dog. The more your dog sees you as being in charge, the more your dog will notice what you do and obey you at every turn.

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